"The principal has met with the students' parents, and the students have received a five day suspension," Terry Corallo, a Paterson schools spokeswoman said in a statement Wednesday. "Upon their return to school, they will receive counseling."

Both police and the Division of Youth and Family Services were called at the time of the incident, which took place off school grounds after school, Corallo said. It's not immediately clear what actions authorities took when they were made aware of the abuse.

Corallo did not respond when asked what grade the students were in or how many allegedly tortured the cat. Multiple sources told NJ.com that the students were all under 10 years of age.

Quattro, a stray, suffered two fractured legs, a broken jaw, head injuries, a broken eye socket, and also lost claws while trying to escape his attackers' blows on May 7 near the playground of School 7 in the north side of Paterson, according to authorities.

The cat, unable to eat or walk after the attack, had to be euthanized on May 15 after he took a turn for the worst, said Renee Olah, the founder of Chance at Life, a cat rescue group that cared for Quattro in his final days.

A 14-year-old boy intervened when he saw the elementary school students mercilessly bludgeoning the cat, pushing away students, cradling the cat and bringing it to his home, SPCA and animal rescue officials told NJ.com.

The boy, who requested anonymity, told ABC 7 that his brother informed him of the violent beating.

"My brother told me they were hitting the cat, and I went over there and the cat was on the floor and couldn't breathe. He was still throwing bricks on his head and I pushed him out of the way," the 14-year-old told the news station. "The cat didn't do anything to them for them to do that."

In a Facebook comment left on the Justice for Quattro page, the mother of the hero boys said it was "terrible to see that children younger than my sons were capable of such destruction towards another living being.”

Her 14-year-old son was lauded for his actions by Paterson Police Director Glenn Brown.

“If there is someone designated a hero at this point, it’s this young man who took this action to defend and rescue this kitten,” Brown said, according to The Record.

The criminal investigation into the boys remains active, according to police and SPCA officials. At minimum, if found guilty they'll receive counseling and psychological evaluations. Their parents could also be fined.

A petition calling on the Paterson Police Department to give Quattro justice in the afterlife has received more than 12,000 signatures as of Wednesday.